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We'll just let the inaugural issue of The Committed Indian tell the story: As always, click to enlarge.
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What's so special about [Crosby]? I don't see anything special there. Yes, he does skate well, has a good head, good pass. But there's nothing else. Even if you compare him to Patrick Kane from Chicago ... [Kane] is a much more interesting player. The way he moves, his deking abilities, his thinking on the ice and his anticipation of the play is so superb.
Blackhawks’ season-ticket holders finally got the word on tickets for the Jan. 1 Winter Classic matchup with the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field on Tuesday.
They’re being offered tickets in three price categories -- $75, $225 and $325. Season-ticket holders, of which there are about 14,000, will get first crack at tickets to the outdoor game and Wrigley Field is expected to accommodate 41,000.
The NHL is planning to release additional ticket information no later than Monday.
If those tickets are going to be standard for all - that's a hell of a lot less than expected.
As of right now the cheapest tickets on StubHub are $330 while the most expensive are $10,000. I'd still be interested to see what Season Ticket holders are told exactly about where their seats will be.
UPDATE: Puck Daddy has a great breakdown of what's going on so far.
Dale Tallon's up to something.
At least, that's the feeling you get with the NHL GMs meeting right here in town.
We didn't know that all the GM's being in one place meant that something would happen. Is that a universal law? Here we thought they were discussing rules changes and possible expansion. But no, they've all come to help Dale Tallon!! What a bunch of guys!
The Blackhawks' general manager looked like a beaten man during the news conference announcing a coaching change, but his demeanor has since improved, and he's got a great opportunity now to make something happen and save his own hide.
No move would be bigger, or have more impact, than subtracting goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin from the roster.
(NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH!)Getting rid of Khabibulin and his $6.7 million salary would be a miracle, but the best way to make it happen is for Khabibulin to play well, and that's almost certainly why he's still playing.
If Tallon pulls it off, and doesn't have to pay too much of Khabibulin's salary, it would free up cap space to add some size on defense. Someone like Chris Pronger, who played eight seasons for Joel Quenneville in St. Louis, might be available in a month or two if the Ducks can't right the ship.
Khabby is still playing because it's the only option, isn't it? Well, actually, it wasn't. But it's the only one a balls-less Tallon could choose. The minors would have worked, and sitting him on the bench also was a choice, but both could have resulted in a sulking, angry Khabby, being a distraction.
But our favorite part by far is the "doesn't hav eto pay too much of Khabibuulin's salary...". Um, Barry, you're not allowed to pay salary to someone on another team, like baseball or basketball. Only if he's claimed on re-entry waivers. Did you mean that? That wouldn't be a trade then, would it? Seeing as how a trade, as we understand it, though we haven't read a book in a while, is when someone gives you something they have for something you have.
Pronger? He makes exactly half-a-million less than Khabby, and is signed through next year. He's 34. How does that solve a #2 center? And instead of paying 12 million in goal, you want to pay 13 for two d-men? Really? That's how you want to go about it? I don't think government bailouts are spreading to sports, much less hockey, Barry.
Or the Hawks could add some goal scoring. There will be plenty of names available come January and February, and keep in mind that McDonough expects the Hawks to make the playoffs this season.
Yes, McDonough's the only one. Rocky and Bowman expect nothing. They're nihlists.
Equally important is for Tallon to begin moving some kids before they're exposed, though that is already occurring.
The Hawks had an excellent chance over the summer to get a No. 1 center and take some pressure off Jonathan Toews, but they passed on Olli Jokinen as he went to Phoenix.
Cam Barker would have likely been part of any deal with Florida, and the jury's still out on the young defenseman, though he has been unimpressive at the NHL level thus far. It doesn't help now that he's stuck at Rockford because of cap restrictions.
So you've just said the Hawks kids are proving to be uneffective outside of Toews and Kane and then wonder why they couldn't put together a package for Jokinen? And you complain that Barker hasn't been impressive in the NHL, which really isn't totally true, and then lament that he's not here. What color is the sky in your world, Barry?
There will be tagging issues in the years to come, and Toews and Patrick Kane will be receiving their monster contract extensions, so this will only get more difficult.
Good thing you've just advocated picking up a 6 million dollar, 34 year old defenseman when you're already loaded there, or a 5.5 million dollar #2 center. That's fancy math!!
Right, enough. My brain hurts. I'm sure Barry's does too.
"There's nothing else really to worry about," Patrick Kane said. "You don't have to do any more red-carpet walks or anything like that, just have to go out and play hockey and give the fans a show."That quote just makes it seem even more evident that while the red carpet arrival may have been fun for some fans, it was a distraction for the players and a gimmicky PR move. Give away all the figurines and bobbleheads you want McD - but make sure your team wins first.
The Chicago Blackhawks have claimed defenseman Doug Janik on waivers from the Dallas Stars and have traded him back to the Stars in exchange for a conditional draft pick.
Season | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GW | S | S% |
2007-2008 | 80 | 36 | 26 | 62 | 23 | 55 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 209 | 17.2 |